Workplace Investigations
Minor allegations of discrimination, harassment, workplace bullying or abuse, nepotism, fraud, policy breaches, statutory violations can often be handled internally by having informal discussions with the individuals involved. However, there are some situations where it is recommended to use an external investigator.
1. Serious allegations where employees may be at risk of losing their jobs or facing criminal prosecution.
2. Serious allegations with a potential to expose an employer to civil or criminal liability, loss of an operating license, required corrective action or considerable fines as a result of employee wrongdoing.
3. The need for impartiality, where the motives of internal investigators could be heavily scrutinized.
4. Lack of staff training or experience with investigations, evidence collection and analysis, retaliation prevention methods, etc.
5. Lack of time or resources to conduct a thorough investigation.
6. When a comprehensive, timely investigative report is needed to streamline legal disputes or even shut them down at an early stage.
9. Avoiding the consequences of a flawed Investigation, such as allegations of wrongful dismissal, infliction of emotional distress, breach of privacy, defamation and other claims.
10. Rebuilding employee trust and morale, ensuring that employees are comfortable reporting incidents to management and are confident that their concerns will be taken seriously.
Employers need an independent investigator who is skilled in identifying the pertinent issues, gathering the relevant evidence, maintaining control of the investigation, providing an objective assessment of the situation and making helpful recommendations. This kind of an investigation can go a long way toward demonstrating that an employer is taking the matter seriously and hopefully, minimize the potential losses to business and reputation.
Our investigator has conducted over 500 employee investigation interviews and is a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI).
Investigation Quote:
We want to make sure that both the investigation process and the cost match your expectations. We will provide you with a quote using the following steps:
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Evaluate your investigation goals, based on an initial briefing
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Estimate the time required for information collection, employee interviews and report writing
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Provide you with a comprehensive investigation plan and fee schedule
Let us know how we can help you!